Infectious Disease Expert Warns 'Category 5' COVID-19 Hurricane Is About To Hit

[Quixote1818]

Michael Osterholm says the U.K. variant will take the U.S. to a frightening new level.
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By Ed Mazza

Infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm said on Sunday that the nation is facing a “Category 5” storm as the new and more infectious coronavirus variant first detected in the United Kingdom spreads in the United States.

“We are going to see something like we have not seen yet in this country,” he said.

Osterholm told NBC’s Chuck Todd on “Meet The Press” Sunday that Americans shouldn’t be fooled by the falling infection numbers:

“Imagine where we’re at, Chuck, right now: You and I are sitting on this beach where it’s 70 degrees, perfectly blue skies, gentle breeze. But I see that Hurricane 5, Category 5 or higher, 450 miles offshore. And telling people to evacuate in that nice blue sky day is gonna be hard. But I can also tell you that hurricane’s coming.”

Osterholm, who is director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota and who served on President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board during the transition, called for giving as many people as possible, especially older Americans, a single dose of the two-dose vaccines rather than ensuring everyone receives the full two doses on schedule.

“We can really do a lot to reduce the number of serious illnesses and deaths in this next big surge, which is coming,” said Osterholm.

See his full conversation with Todd above.

Link: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/michael-osterholm-category-5-hurricane-coronavirus_n_60178a0fc5b63b0fb2823174

[Initech]

1. Ugh, I feel like this fucking pandemic is never going to end.

[Aviation Pro]

2. It will end when 100% of the country gets focused

But with 40% of the voting populace complete, utter morons that won't happen.

[wcmagumba]

4. More than 40% in my red KS area...they have large gatherings (wedding parties, baby showers...

birthdays, memorials and other) at the senior/community center across from my house nearly every weekend with nary a mask to be seen. Just a small exurban community, I'm sure it is just as bad or worse all over the area..."winter is coming"...

[durablend]

13. In other words, it's never going to end.

[Miguelito Loveless]

6. It is not going to end while half the country

doesn't really believe it exists.

[Miguelito Loveless]

15. I am speaking of the part that matters (sad to say)

those who vote. Those are the only people politicians pay any attention to (well, and those who pay them rivers of cash), and that is a roughly 50/50 split (50%/48.8% to be technical).

[ResistantAmerican17]

3. What racial slur will repugnantCons use for this one??

[LudwigPastorius]

22. The Royal Malady

Monty Die-thon

MI Sicks

The UK NotOK

A Blight of the Round Table

'Rona and Chips

[ResistantAmerican17]

23. Made me chuckle!!!! Thx

[Irish_Dem]

5. Cat 5 hurricanes/typhoons are devastating and deadly.

And they are saying it is such an emergency as many people as possible need to get at least one vaccine dose.
Sounds very ominous.

[PaddyIrishman]

7. The UK variant is incredibly serious

I'm in Ireland next door to the UK and over Christmas we relaxed our guidelines to allow bars, restaurants and non-essential shops to open while families could socialise in each others houses.

Tens of thousands of people came here from the UK as is the norm every Christmas. They were supposed to self-isolate and didn't with the result that between them bringing in UK variant and us spreading it, we went from best in the world to worst in the world in a matter of days.

We had to lock everything down again straight after Christmas and our figures are only now starting the process of returning to pre-Christmas levels. We're going to be locked down until Easter in my reckoning.

At least you now have an administration that follows the science and takes this seriously which helps, but I can't warn enough about how transmissible the UK variant is.

[mopinko]

8. i saw that happening. i was appalled.

wouldja all pls get it together over there? planning a trip as soon as it's safe. feels like that will be never.

[mopinko]

9. also, welcome to du.

can never have too many irishmen at a gabfest.

[Tracer]

10. I've seen that Dr. on TV before.

He's always predicting doom.

As if it isn't bad enough already.

[Quixote1818]

14. I think he is trying to prevent people from being complacent. Fauci isn't sure if it will be that

bad. It's all going to depend on how fast people can get vaccinated, how good people are at following the rules and how much the warm weather starts to impact the virus. A lot of what happens is in our hands.

[DSandra]

20. I really hate chicken little "experts"...

Ones who get everyone scared for nothing.

Guy Mcpherson and Ravi Batra come to mind.

[lagomorph777]

11. Also, Biden should use the Defense Production Act to boost output of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines

Similar to WWII, when Ford made Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines, and GM made Lockheed planes.

The government brings the companies together to hammer out a suitable licensing deal. They all make money and we get out of trouble sooner.

[moonscape]

18. Production of this vaccine is more complicated

than that for an aircraft engine, and according to Fauci it’s not possible or realistic.

[bucolic_frolic]

19. I think the stumbling block is suitable manufacturing capacity

Yes, you have to license it, and work out financial compensation to the owners. Who has the specialized equipment to work at those low temperatures, and what other medicines do you sideline to increase covid vaccines. It's not a question of how to pay for it, but how fast can you convert and fit production labs. Personnel might even be limited, and of course, no company wants to divulge trade secrets in the course of production.

There was an Indian (east Indian) pharma CEO interviewed late spring or early summer. He warned that manufacturing capacity was the stumbling block, and it would take until 2023 to manufacture the 14.4 billion doses for everyone on the planet to have 2 shots. I think he said 300 million was the monthly capacity.

[SheltieLover]

16. And they are reopening businesses because numbers are down a bit

Can they not, just for once, be proactive?

[live love laugh]

17. I read somewhere recently that 50% of fatalities are from nursing homes

The death toll is on course to kill a million considering the wave that’s going to hit us.

That means 500,000 from nursing homes--older Americans-- will likely be taken by this scourge.

It’s a political hit job.

[ProfessorGAC]

21. Hasn't That Variant Been Here A Couple Months

I believe there is evidence that it was here before UK researchers even confirmed it.

[IcyPeas]

24. now's the time to start doubling up your masks if you aren't already.